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sheridacon's review against another edition
5.0
Warning: this is a long review!
What is normal, anyway? This is the theme of The Speed of Dark. Having a child with Asperger's/high-functioning autism, and also possessing many "Aspergian" qualities myself, I was fascinated by Moon's portrayal of Lou and his character development. Moon does the best job of any authors I have read who have attempted to characterize a person with autism. Even better than Mark Haddon's "The Curiosity of the Dog in the Nighttime" and certainly miles ahead of Jodi Piccoult's "House Rules" (which, by the way, is not a very good book and does a very poor job of portraying the mind of a young autistic boy.)
Lou has learned all the "rules" of fitting into society, and he performs most of them quite well, although uncomfortably. Yet he is constantly questioning things like why people say one thing when they mean another, and why is he considered the defective one when he has abilities that "normal" people don't have. Lou is very aware of his "quirks" and enjoys his own heightened sensitivities. Yet, he also struggles throughout the novel with how society has labeled him and views him as inferior, as disabled, as somehow less.
These are some of the same struggles I have in dealing with my son. I love his quirkiness, his odd way of viewing things. I wouldn't want to ever change those things about him. But I also have to help him, to teach him how to have successful relationships with other people, and to a certain degree, that means being able to conform to society's idea of "normal." How do I teach him to "be himself" and "celebrate his uniqueness" but at the same time help him to "fit in?" It's a dilemma, for sure. This novel was quite a philosophical read that really made me think.
Some quotes that I just love:
"God is supposed to be the good parent, the Father. So I think God would not make things harder than they are. I do not think I am autistic because God thought my parents needed a challenge or I needed a challenge. I think it is like if I were a baby and a rock fell on me and broke my leg. Whatever caused it was an accident. God did not prevent the accident, but He did not cause it, either."
"'It is the pattern of people who do not really believe we need supports and resent the supports. If I--if we--did worse, they would understand more. It is the combination of doing well and having the supports that upsets them. I am too normal--'I look back at Mr. Stacy; he is smiling and nodding. 'That is silly,' I say. 'I am not normal. Not now. Not ever.'"
"Everyone needs some regularity; everyone enjoys series and patterns to some degree. I have known that for years, but now I understand it better. We autistics are on one end of an arc of human behavior and preference, but we are connected. My feeling for Marjory is a normal feeling, not a weird feeling. Maybe I am more aware of the different colors in her hair or her eyes than someone else would be, but the desire to be close to her is a normal desire."
"What I have in my head is light and dark and gravity and space and swords and groceries and colors and numbers and people and patterns so beautiful I get shivers all over. I still do not know why I have those patterns and not others. The book answers questions other people have thought of. I have thought of questions they have not answered. I always thought my questions were wrong questions because no one else asked them. Maybe no one thought of them. Maybe darkness got there first. Maybe I am the first light touching a gulf of ignorance. Maybe my questions matter."
"Maybe God thinks I would be better if I weren't autistic. Maybe God wants me to take the treatment. I am cold suddenly. Here I have felt accepted--accepted by God, accepted by the priest and the people, or most of them. God does not spurn the blind, the deaf, the paralyzed, the crazy. That is what I have been taught and what I believe. What if I was wrong? What if God wants me to be something other than I am?" (This quote comes after Lou hears a sermon on the man at the pool of Siloam of whom Jesus asks, "Do you want to be healed?" This was for me the climax of the book.)
"Asking if I want to be healed is like asking if I want to like anchovies. I cannot imagine what liking anchovies would feel like, what taste they would have in my mouth. People who like anchovies tell me they taste good; people who are normal tell me being normal feels good. They cannot describe the taste or the feeling in a way that makes sense to me.
Do I need to be healed? Who does it hurt if I am not healed? Myself, but only if I feel bad the way I am, and I do not feel bad except when people say that I am not one of them, not normal. Supposedly autistic persons do not care what others think of them, but this is not true. I do care, and it hurts when people do not like me because I am autistic."
"'It is stupid,' Chuy says. 'Tell us to want to be normal, and then tell us to love ourselves as we are. If people want to change it means they do not like something about how they are now.'"
"I can feel myself relaxing. Trees do not care if I am normal or not. Rocks and moss do not care. They cannot tell the difference between one human and another. That is restful. I do not have to think about myself at all."
"Some of the articles said autistic persons are too sensitive to smells, but no one minds that in a dog or cat. . . some articles say that autistic persons are too sensitive to small sounds, but no one minds that in animals."
This was a great book. Maybe too personal. I just finished it and I'm not sure how I feel. Part of it makes me want to cry, but I'm not sure why. Five stars, for sure.
What is normal, anyway? This is the theme of The Speed of Dark. Having a child with Asperger's/high-functioning autism, and also possessing many "Aspergian" qualities myself, I was fascinated by Moon's portrayal of Lou and his character development. Moon does the best job of any authors I have read who have attempted to characterize a person with autism. Even better than Mark Haddon's "The Curiosity of the Dog in the Nighttime" and certainly miles ahead of Jodi Piccoult's "House Rules" (which, by the way, is not a very good book and does a very poor job of portraying the mind of a young autistic boy.)
Lou has learned all the "rules" of fitting into society, and he performs most of them quite well, although uncomfortably. Yet he is constantly questioning things like why people say one thing when they mean another, and why is he considered the defective one when he has abilities that "normal" people don't have. Lou is very aware of his "quirks" and enjoys his own heightened sensitivities. Yet, he also struggles throughout the novel with how society has labeled him and views him as inferior, as disabled, as somehow less.
These are some of the same struggles I have in dealing with my son. I love his quirkiness, his odd way of viewing things. I wouldn't want to ever change those things about him. But I also have to help him, to teach him how to have successful relationships with other people, and to a certain degree, that means being able to conform to society's idea of "normal." How do I teach him to "be himself" and "celebrate his uniqueness" but at the same time help him to "fit in?" It's a dilemma, for sure. This novel was quite a philosophical read that really made me think.
Some quotes that I just love:
"God is supposed to be the good parent, the Father. So I think God would not make things harder than they are. I do not think I am autistic because God thought my parents needed a challenge or I needed a challenge. I think it is like if I were a baby and a rock fell on me and broke my leg. Whatever caused it was an accident. God did not prevent the accident, but He did not cause it, either."
"'It is the pattern of people who do not really believe we need supports and resent the supports. If I--if we--did worse, they would understand more. It is the combination of doing well and having the supports that upsets them. I am too normal--'I look back at Mr. Stacy; he is smiling and nodding. 'That is silly,' I say. 'I am not normal. Not now. Not ever.'"
"Everyone needs some regularity; everyone enjoys series and patterns to some degree. I have known that for years, but now I understand it better. We autistics are on one end of an arc of human behavior and preference, but we are connected. My feeling for Marjory is a normal feeling, not a weird feeling. Maybe I am more aware of the different colors in her hair or her eyes than someone else would be, but the desire to be close to her is a normal desire."
"What I have in my head is light and dark and gravity and space and swords and groceries and colors and numbers and people and patterns so beautiful I get shivers all over. I still do not know why I have those patterns and not others. The book answers questions other people have thought of. I have thought of questions they have not answered. I always thought my questions were wrong questions because no one else asked them. Maybe no one thought of them. Maybe darkness got there first. Maybe I am the first light touching a gulf of ignorance. Maybe my questions matter."
"Maybe God thinks I would be better if I weren't autistic. Maybe God wants me to take the treatment. I am cold suddenly. Here I have felt accepted--accepted by God, accepted by the priest and the people, or most of them. God does not spurn the blind, the deaf, the paralyzed, the crazy. That is what I have been taught and what I believe. What if I was wrong? What if God wants me to be something other than I am?" (This quote comes after Lou hears a sermon on the man at the pool of Siloam of whom Jesus asks, "Do you want to be healed?" This was for me the climax of the book.)
"Asking if I want to be healed is like asking if I want to like anchovies. I cannot imagine what liking anchovies would feel like, what taste they would have in my mouth. People who like anchovies tell me they taste good; people who are normal tell me being normal feels good. They cannot describe the taste or the feeling in a way that makes sense to me.
Do I need to be healed? Who does it hurt if I am not healed? Myself, but only if I feel bad the way I am, and I do not feel bad except when people say that I am not one of them, not normal. Supposedly autistic persons do not care what others think of them, but this is not true. I do care, and it hurts when people do not like me because I am autistic."
"'It is stupid,' Chuy says. 'Tell us to want to be normal, and then tell us to love ourselves as we are. If people want to change it means they do not like something about how they are now.'"
"I can feel myself relaxing. Trees do not care if I am normal or not. Rocks and moss do not care. They cannot tell the difference between one human and another. That is restful. I do not have to think about myself at all."
"Some of the articles said autistic persons are too sensitive to smells, but no one minds that in a dog or cat. . . some articles say that autistic persons are too sensitive to small sounds, but no one minds that in animals."
This was a great book. Maybe too personal. I just finished it and I'm not sure how I feel. Part of it makes me want to cry, but I'm not sure why. Five stars, for sure.
evelikesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
The more I think about this book, the more unhappy I am with the way it ended. I thought it was extremely well-written, and I was very eager to keep reading and see Lou get out of his situations with Don and with the horrible (dare I say, mustache-twirling) Mr. Crenshaw.
I think the resolution of the Mr. Crenshaw story line, with the awesomely sneaky intervention of Mr. Aldrin was ok, even though the the autistic workers were sort of being "rescued" by a kindly paternal figure who didn't quite see them as independent persons in their own right, but rather innocents who needed protection. On the other hand, Lou is rather an innocent sometimes, especially in his dealings with Don. It was obvious to the reader from the first that Don was bad news, but Lou thought he was a friend. It must be noted, though, that autistic people aren't the only ones who have ever been wrong about someone's intentions.
This was the most effective part of the book for me -- the exploration of what it means to be "normal," such Lou's belief that "normal" people can read minds and always know if someone is attracted to them (if only!). It felt like the book was drawing toward a conclusion that autistic people are just another branch of "normal." Most people need some sort of accommodation to go about their daily lives, whether it is a different kind of chair, or glasses, or earplug, or what have you. There's no reason why the autistic people in the book, who need slightly more accommodation, couldn't just keep going on as they were. Some did, of course. But Lou, who wants to be an astronaut, decides to get the treatment and become not-autistic. It seemed like he was fine as he was, but decided to get the treatment because society could not accept that. This is a bummer.
I think the resolution of the Mr. Crenshaw story line, with the awesomely sneaky intervention of Mr. Aldrin was ok, even though the the autistic workers were sort of being "rescued" by a kindly paternal figure who didn't quite see them as independent persons in their own right, but rather innocents who needed protection. On the other hand, Lou is rather an innocent sometimes, especially in his dealings with Don. It was obvious to the reader from the first that Don was bad news, but Lou thought he was a friend. It must be noted, though, that autistic people aren't the only ones who have ever been wrong about someone's intentions.
This was the most effective part of the book for me -- the exploration of what it means to be "normal," such Lou's belief that "normal" people can read minds and always know if someone is attracted to them (if only!). It felt like the book was drawing toward a conclusion that autistic people are just another branch of "normal." Most people need some sort of accommodation to go about their daily lives, whether it is a different kind of chair, or glasses, or earplug, or what have you. There's no reason why the autistic people in the book, who need slightly more accommodation, couldn't just keep going on as they were. Some did, of course. But Lou, who wants to be an astronaut, decides to get the treatment and become not-autistic. It seemed like he was fine as he was, but decided to get the treatment because society could not accept that. This is a bummer.
blairconrad's review against another edition
5.0
A very nice book combining insights into an autistic person’s mind with questions about the concept of “self”.
By setting the book in the near-future, Moon is able to present a very high-functioning autistic adult, to contrast with the not-as-functioning young protagonist of [b:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time|1618|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time |Mark Haddon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255690510s/1618.jpg|4259809] (which you should read). I enjoyed Moon’s prose and characterisations. Well worth a read.
By setting the book in the near-future, Moon is able to present a very high-functioning autistic adult, to contrast with the not-as-functioning young protagonist of [b:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time|1618|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time |Mark Haddon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255690510s/1618.jpg|4259809] (which you should read). I enjoyed Moon’s prose and characterisations. Well worth a read.
anemone42's review against another edition
5.0
This book loosely resembles The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in that they both have narrators with autism, but there they diverge. The narrator of The Speed of Dark is Lou Arrendale, a man living in the near future when major developments have been made in treating individuals with autism. His work group consists entirely of people with autism. The group splinters when a new manager at the company learns of an experimental treatment that could cure autism, and demands that all the employees with autism participate.
In Lou's struggle to avoid being compelled to be treated, major questions of ethics are raised. Even deeper, however, are more basic questions: if a person has always had an illness, a difference, who are they without that? If my depression were erased tomorrow, I don't know who I would be. Lou faces the same sort of void--the complete unknown.
In Lou's struggle to avoid being compelled to be treated, major questions of ethics are raised. Even deeper, however, are more basic questions: if a person has always had an illness, a difference, who are they without that? If my depression were erased tomorrow, I don't know who I would be. Lou faces the same sort of void--the complete unknown.
rick_k's review against another edition
4.0
It seems like I mention empathy in every review I write. All writing is an act of empathy, but some shifts of circumstance and perspective are greater than others. In Elizabeth Moon’s The Speed of Dark we are in the near future where our understanding of genetic disorders has generally eliminated disease. The story is told from the point of view of Lou Arrendale, a middle-aged man with autistic spectrum disorder. He was born at a time when some treatment was available but a cure still eluded science for several more years. He has high social functioning, lives independently, has a complete work and personal life - but he is also aware that he is different. Some of his differences make him exceptionally talented, but his inherent difficulty with social cues and language isolates him and restricts his ambitions. When a promising treatment for adult autistic spectrum disorder makes headlines, he and the others within this last generation with autism are faced with difficult choices.
I have no idea what it would be like to be autistic and if this portrayal is accurate. It is noted that Lou has undergone some treatment in his childhood which would not be available with current science, which might afford some leniency from readers with a closer relationship to the condition. Even if it is not a realistic depiction of autism it is a fascinating mental framework to experience a story through. I listened to the audiobook version which is a little uneven across the various voices with some sounding a bit cartoon-y, however Jay Snyder’s rendering of Lou Arrendale throughout the very dynamic character arc was superb and subtle. The variations in the meter of Lou's speech patterns are clear enough in the text, but the performance amplifies the changes by almost downplaying them. I know I am being a bit cagey but I would prefer to let the author reveal plot at her own pace. I have to give additional credit to Elizabeth Moon for not taking the easy path in telling this story. After building such a wonderful character as Lou she rightly lets his personality guide the resolution. There are difficult choices with real consequences and each choice feels right for the character even if it runs counter to convention.
I have no idea what it would be like to be autistic and if this portrayal is accurate. It is noted that Lou has undergone some treatment in his childhood which would not be available with current science, which might afford some leniency from readers with a closer relationship to the condition. Even if it is not a realistic depiction of autism it is a fascinating mental framework to experience a story through. I listened to the audiobook version which is a little uneven across the various voices with some sounding a bit cartoon-y, however Jay Snyder’s rendering of Lou Arrendale throughout the very dynamic character arc was superb and subtle. The variations in the meter of Lou's speech patterns are clear enough in the text, but the performance amplifies the changes by almost downplaying them. I know I am being a bit cagey but I would prefer to let the author reveal plot at her own pace. I have to give additional credit to Elizabeth Moon for not taking the easy path in telling this story. After building such a wonderful character as Lou she rightly lets his personality guide the resolution. There are difficult choices with real consequences and each choice feels right for the character even if it runs counter to convention.
horthhill's review against another edition
3.0
I found Moon's 'The Speed of Dark' to be a slow read. The premise centres on an experimental autism cure in the near future and whether the main character, Lou, a high functioning autistic man, should undergo the treatment. Unfortunately, Moon tries to create a first person point-of-view of Lou with a 'dialect' that is supposed to get inside the head of Lou and his speach patterns. This 'dialect' is repeatitious. It was often slow going which was not helped by a weak plot. The novel was OK.
twowhoodles's review against another edition
4.0
I loved it. I love the near future aspects. I love the voice it's written in. I love the intelligence and research. I love the realistic look at a mega corporation. I love that it didn't take a sappy easy happy ending approach.
petealdin's review against another edition
5.0
It's interesting to read a book that jumps from first person present tense, to 3rd person past tense and back again...and actually works!
The author's insights into both the spectrum of autism and what it must be like to live in those worlds are moving and respectful. I found myself genuinely questioning what "normal" is. And I was caught up in the difficulty of the decision that Lou has to make: whether or not to try an experimental cure for autism that will fundamentally change who he is.
I wouldn't class this as science fiction, though it's fiction set a few years in the future and based on the potential for a scientific procedure to fundamentally change people's lives. I read this as drama.
Tense, warm, funny, sad. Lovely book.
The author's insights into both the spectrum of autism and what it must be like to live in those worlds are moving and respectful. I found myself genuinely questioning what "normal" is. And I was caught up in the difficulty of the decision that Lou has to make: whether or not to try an experimental cure for autism that will fundamentally change who he is.
I wouldn't class this as science fiction, though it's fiction set a few years in the future and based on the potential for a scientific procedure to fundamentally change people's lives. I read this as drama.
Tense, warm, funny, sad. Lovely book.
seeinghowitgoes's review against another edition
5.0
In the last week of 2011 I read the most fascinating book of this year. From the viewpoint of Lou, an autistic patterns analyser with a passion for fencing it's easily one of the most confronting and interesting novels I've read in a long time.
There's lot of room for thought here, and I'll be honest I'm still conflicted about the ending. Very thought provoking and recommended.
There's lot of room for thought here, and I'll be honest I'm still conflicted about the ending. Very thought provoking and recommended.
ninj's review against another edition
5.0
Highly readable, great characters, shades of flowers for algernon.